For many around the globe, having a custom motorcycle workshop and building magnificent machines is the ultimate fantasy. And back in 2009, we first featured a bike from the talented California-based builder Dustin Kott, who has been living that dream ever since. Every motorcycle he produces is of a seriously high standard; he has won big awards and built bikes for Hollywood’s best. However, during the past year, he decided to shake things up a little. Rather than working to a customer brief, he has made the time to build two mega motorcycles to fulfil his own desires. One of these is this silver shooting star known as ‘Rocket Man’ – a turbocharged 1975 Honda CB750 – that looks like it’s getting ready to boogie at the Bonneville salt flats.
“I’m always sourcing donor machines and looking for good deals on old bikes. This was a backyard find and had all the qualities of a poorly executed and abandoned ’70s-era chopper project, making it a good candidate for a complete makeover,” Dustin tells us. He has always wanted to build a turbo bike, but finding the parts or the old kits produced for ’70s road rockets is a difficult task these days, and you can’t exactly just order one online. Eventually, he struck gold: “I was finally able to procure a fairly complete ATP unit with exhaust manifold, intake plenum, wastegate and Rajay turbo.” However, finding the kit is, in a way, the easy part; getting a carby turbo setup to run well is a bit of a dark art.
“This particular build took longer than usual to complete. It also proved to be the most challenging I’ve taken on. I had a lot of reading and studying to do to learn the benefits and shortcomings of a draw-through carburetted system versus other methods of forced induction.” While this is definitely a street bike, you can see Dustin’s love and appreciation of drag bikes and salt flat racers shining through. The build really got going when he found just the right motor in Salt Lake City, on his way home from the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. It was bolted into a fairly crude and shabby old hill climber, but the engine showed serious signs of promise.
Having cracked the engine open, he found plenty of goodies inside: “In there were an R.C. Engineering head, 1000cc pistons and cylinder jug, along with R.C. gold connecting rods. Russ Collins (R.C.) was arguably the high priest of drag racing and engine building, especially regarding the Honda 750 four engines. Much homage is due to him for pioneering high-performance products that push the known limits of the infamous CB750 power plant.” The engine was pulled down and rebuilt from the crank up, and it looks as good as it runs. An HSR 42mm Mikuni carbs sits in front of the turbo, and a beautiful custom exhaust has been fitted to allow the exhaust gases to flow effectively from the hot side.
“A necessary oil cooler was neatly fitted towards the bottom of the frame. The ‘Sumpthing’ was sandwiched between the oil pump and bottom pan, effectively acting as a ‘wet sump’ engine, thus eliminating the need for an auxiliary oil tank.” The result from this hotted-up Honda donk is a stout 120bhp, with more probably just some extra boost away. Next, Dustin took his time reinforcing the frame and adding gussets to provide the extra strength required to handle the significant increase in horsepower. While he was at it, he also added some super neat brackets for the custom rearsets, and the chassis was sent out to be powder-coated in black.
To get the rest of the chassis up to scratch, Dustin had the expert team at Cognito Moto machine him a beautiful set of triple clamps. These allow for a set of Suzuki GSXR forks to be bolted in, and Dustin has gone to town polishing them to perfection. Even the lower legs have been smoothed and polished, and the big twin calipers received the same treatment; elbow grease, eat your heart out. These join with a new set of brake rotors to give the bike some much-needed stopping power, and the braided lines are the perfect match. The rear end doesn’t miss out either, with a set of Ikon adjustable shocks to smooth out the ride.
The rear hub is based around a Cognito Moto custom hub, which allows for a single disc and caliper setup to join the party. Both ends are laced up with a set of Borrani aluminium shouldered rims and wrapped in quality Michelin rubber. Of course, being a Dustin Kott-built motorcycle, the bodywork is all handmade and straight from the top shelf. But it doesn’t matter how many times you do it; crafting aluminium panels of this quality is no easy task. That fuel tank sets the standard, with a nice mix of custom and CB-inspired lines. The front fender hugs the tyre tightly, and the cowl above is a beautiful touch with its minimalist clear screen.
The rear seat cowl is a Kott signature piece, and it looks right at home with its high-speed flowing style on this rapid rocket. The seat unit itself is beautifully upholstered, with the black and brown colour combination working flawlessly with the brushed aluminium and polished metal surfaces. The wiring is kept minimal and out of sight, and a Dyna electronic ignition was chosen for its ease of use and tuning. A set of clip-ons teams up with those custom rearsets to put the rider in an ultra-aggressive riding position, and just a classic boost gauge on a custom bracket is all the info you need. Because as good as this Kott creation looks standing still, grab a handful of throttle and you’ll want your eyes firmly fixed on the road in front of you; Rocket Man is ready for takeoff.
[ Kott Motorcycles ]